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PROMOTIONS INFORMATION

By Reid Shapiro

I’ve been asked by a number of students lately what they should be studying for the upcoming promotions. Some of you will remember that last year I asked quite a few questions of the people up for promotion, and that most of these came as a bit of a surprise. I didn’t mean them to be a surprise, or to be too difficult. When Master Zi told me I’d have a chance to ask some questions during the promotions I asked myself what were the areas of general knowledge I felt we should all be working on as serious students of tai chi. The areas I chose were: Eastern Anatomy (the meridian system, etc.); Western Anatomy (the skeletal, muscular, nervous systems, etc.); Tai Chi Philosophy and Mechanics (movement principles, basic Daoist principles); and Tai Chi History (the place of Yang Tai Chi in the Tai Chi universe, the fathers of Tai Chi and Yang Tai Chi).

Most, if not all, of the questions I asked had been asked and answered in various classes, especially those given by Master Zi. But not all of us make it to every class, and there’s nothing stopping any of us from doing a little research on our own. As we start doing tai chi, it’s best not to read too much. Doing tai chi is far and away the best way to learn it. There is no substitute for practice. But as we progress as students, we should strive to gain at least a basic understanding of the framework around the sets we work so hard to learn and practice.

So, as we again approach promotions, don’t stress. Practice your tai chi. Do a little reading. Make a few notes. Do some more tai chi. Try to integrate your “paper knowledge” with your knowledge of your body and your practice. If something doesn’t make sense to you, ask one of your Seniors. Have fun. Smile. Breathe.

Note: Shakti's will be providing all students with a curriculum in the upcoming weeks

October Self-Healing Tips --Traditional Chinese Medicine

written by: Julie Festa, L.Ac.

It’s October. The days are now shorter and cooler than they’ve been in quite awhile. We are soon going to turn the clocks back and welcome even earlier nightfall. The northern hemisphere’s yang energy is moving inward. Our tai qi and yoga practices are becoming deeper and more internal. Our meditations are plunging us into our depths. We are craving more sleep, as well as more nourishing and warmer foods which strengthen and cleanse the Lung and Large Intestine.

The Large Intestine has a big job as the Yang component of the Metal element. It is highly important to clarity of mind and body to keep this organ healthy, hydrated, and cleansed. It is also very important to keep the waste matter moving through the large intestine. Often things get stuck, which can lead to build up of mucus or waste product that needs to be released from the body. Excess and stagnation over long periods of time will block the functions of other organs as well as the ability to flow with life. Clarity of the internal organs is requisite to having clarity of mind and experiencing deep and sustained well-being. With long-term build up and stagnation in the large intestine, all sorts of cancers and intestinal difficulties are given the ideal conditions to proliferate. Self-massage of the abdomen is an excellent preventative measure for intestinal wellness. Massaging as few as 2 points daily can improve your overall health and assist the colon in its important work.

Stomach 25, named Tian Shu, or Heavenly Pivot, is the Front Mu point of the Large Intestine. This point empowers dynamic movement in any direction without excessive confusion or thought. It is all about flow – the kind of flow that comes from being centered, clear, and internally stable in an ever evolving and changing world.

To locate Stomach 25, find your belly button. Move two inches directly to the side outward from your navel in each direction. Press in and see if there’s any tenderness there. As with all the points, you may need to explore the immediate vicinity to find the exact right point on your body today.

Take 5 minutes or so each day to massage gently these two points in circles – and as the tissues relax, allow your thumb or fingers to move deeper and deeper into your torso. Be gentle! According to the Chinese medical classics, your bowels should be moving after every meal, and the evacuation should feel complete. If this is not the case for you, or even if it is the case and you want to fortify your well-being, self-massage on Heavenly Pivot will benefit your overall wellness.

A sweet potato is actually a very distant cousin of what we normally consider when we think of a potato.  Sweet potatoes are full of vitamins A and C, and they also contain calcium and iron.  They are great for strengthening the Spleen, promoting Qi, detoxifying the body, building Kidney Yin.  They are cooling in nature and sweet in flavor.

This year, as perhaps you have done in other years, or perhaps for the first time – try saving your pumpkin seeds after carving your pumpkin for Halloween. Place them in a flat baking pan to roast them on 300deg for about 45 minutes until golden brown. You can try a variety of flavors, from olive oil, coconut oil or butter, to honey, to salt, to cumin or even cayenne pepper. Also try leaving some of the stringy bits of pumpkin hanging off your seeds – this will add more flavor to the roasting process. Another option – to prevent colds and flus – try adding fresh garlic to your seed roasting!

The pumpkin seeds are warm, sweet and bitter. They enter the Spleen, Stomach, and Large Intestine channels. They help cleanse and moisten the colon, as well as helping to free up the flow of stool (for use in ensuring regular bowel movements). They treat parasites, hemorrhoids, and scanty lactation. These seeds are rich in Vitamins B and E. They also contain fiber, zinc, and omega-3’s (taken raw, not roasted). They can be used for motion sickness, nausea, impotency, and swollen prostate. Just carve, scoop, roast, and enjoy!